New NUS president faces anti-semitism questions

THE newly-elected NUS president is to be investigated amid anti-semitism allegations, after the universities minister questioned the validity of her victory.

Shaima Dallali is due to take up her post in July. But she has been dogged by claims of anti-semitism after failing to commit to the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) definition of anti-semitism.

The allegations have become a focus for the Government with groups including the Union of Jewish Students raising concerns over Ms Dallali’s alleged historic comments on social media.

Last week, Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, severed official ties with the NUS, saying he was “seriously concerned” by the reports. Now, a Department for Education (DFE) source has told the Jewish Chronicle that Michelle Donelan, the universities minister, wrote this week to Civica Election Services, which officiated in the March election of Ms Dallali, asking that it conduct an investigation because Rule 8 of the NUS’S “core rules” state that all candidates for office “must have a commitment to anti-racism… and anti-semitism as per the IHRA definition”.

The weekly newspaper has said that it unearthed numerous social media posts “liked” by Ms Dallali that opposed the IHRA definition and called for students at her own institution, City University, to reject it in a March 2021 referendum. The poll rejected the IHRA definition by a two-thirds majority.

Ms Dallali told the paper: “I am committed to creating an NUS that is open to all students… My commitment to antiracism has not changed.”

The DFE was contacted for comment.